6 GSM

Lecture 6
An overview
of GSM
Lecture Outline
 Introduction
 GSM Basic Requirements
 GSM Services
 GSM Cellular Structure
 GSM Architecture
 GSM Sub-Systems
Introduction
 (Public Land Mobile Network) PLMN: a network providing
mobile telecommunication services to the public.
 PLMN can be divided into:
 Core network: switching, routing, connecting to other
networks.
 Access network: handles radio.
 It acts as an interface to other external networks such as:
- Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
- Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
- other PLMNs.
 PLMN relies on fixed networks to rout remote calls.
 GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a 2G
standard that was developed in Europe to improve existing
mobile features and introduce new facilities for mobile
users.
GSM Basic Requirements (1)
A GSM system must guarantee all
requirements in the following aspects:
 Services
 Quality of Service and Security
 Radio Frequency Utilization
 Network Aspects
 Cost Aspects
 Services
 Mobile can be used in all participating countries
 Flexibility for other network services
 Offer PSTN/ISDN facilities
 Usable on ships, prohibited in air
 Support wide range of handheld devices
 Quality of Service and Security
 At least as good as the 1st generation analog
 Offer encryption of user information for no
added cost
 Radio Frequency Utilization
 High level subscriber facilities in urban and rural areas
 Allow operation in the entire frequency band
 Must co-exist with earlier systems in the same
frequency band
 Network Aspects
 International standards to be used
 No modification needed for fixed networks
 Cost Aspects
 Limited cost for mobile units
 Different charging rates
GSM Services
 Telephony services
 Speech telephony (mobile originated/terminated)
 Emergency calls (mandatory, no Subscriber Identity
Module (SIM) card)
 Other teleservices
 Short Message Service (SMS)
 Cell Broadcast Service (CBS)
 Voice mail, fax, etc.
 GSM bearer services
 Synchronous/Asynchronous data, packet switching, etc
 Supplementary services
 Call hold, wait, forward, bar, Caller ID
 Multi-party service, closed user group
GSM Cellular Structure
 The aim of GSM is to make best use of the
available frequencies to provide:
 Coverage: getting a usable radio signal to all areas
in the network
 Capacity: handling the call traffic generated by all
subscribers
 The cellular structure allows the re-use of
frequencies across the network
 Planning the pattern of this re-use is a key part
of the system design
GSM Architecture
GSM architecture is made up of three sub-systems:
1. The Mobile Station (MS)
2. The Base Station Sub-System (BSS)
3. The Network and Switching Sub-System (NSS)
NSS
Basic GSM Network Architecture

Mobile Station (MS)
 The term Mobile Station includes:
 The mobile equipment which provides radio
communication with the network
 The SIM card which identifies and personalizes the
mobile station (free choice of device)
 The main function of the MS is:
 Providing GSM and non-GSM services (terminal
equipment)
 Carrying out functions related to transmission on the
radio interface (mobile termination)
 Communication between the terminal equipment and
the mobile termination
Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
 The BSS includes the infrastructure machines,
which are specific to the radio cellular aspect
of GSM, it consists of:
1. The Base Transceiver Station (BTS): responsible
for communicating with the MS via a radio interface known
as Um.
2. the Base Station Controller (BSC):
which performs other radio interface management such as
the allocation and release of radio channels and handover
management. It also links the BTS to other network
components (NSS).
 The interface between the BSC and the BTS is
called the Abis interface.
Network and Switching Sub-System
 Includes the main switching functions of GSM as well
as the databases needed for subscriber data and
mobility management.
 It manages the communication between GSM users
and other telecommunications network users.
 The components of the NSS are:
 Mobile service Switching Center (MSC)
 Home Location Register (HLR)
 Visitor Location Register (VLR)
 Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
 Authentication Center (AuC)
 Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC)
Mobile service Switching Center (MSC)
 The MSC coordinates calls from and to GSM
users.
 It has an interface with the BSS known as the A
interface.
 It communicates with external networks via a
gateway.
 To support the MSC, a number of databases and
registers are responsible for storing
subscription, authentication and billing
information.
Home Location Register (HLR)
 The Home Location Register (HLR) is a database
which stores subscribers’ information.
 It contains:
 The Authentication Center (AuC): which manages
security and authentication data.
 The Equipment Identity Register (EIR): which stores
the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)
for each mobile.
 The EIR controls access to the network by returning
the status of a mobile in response to an IMEI query:
1. white listed: allowed
2. grey listed: under observation
3. black listed: stolen or type not approved for a GSM
network
Visitor Location Register (VLR)
 The Visitors Location Register (VLR) temporarily
stores subscription data of users currently
located in the corresponding MSC.
 It holds information about the mobile’s location,
at a more precise level than the HLR.
Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC)
 Gateway switches are in charge of fetching the

location information and of routing the call
towards the MSC through which the subscriber
can obtain service at this instant.
 They have an interface with external networks
and with the SS7 signaling network to
communicates with other NSS entities.
Signaling System 7 (SS7)
 SS7 is an international telecommunications
standard.
 SS7 is a network that is in charge of information
required to set up and manage telephone calls.
 SS7 uses what is called out-of-band signaling,
meaning that signaling (control) information
travels on a separate, dedicated channel rather
than within the same channel as the telephone
call.
 Using SS7, telephone calls can be set up more
efficiently and with greater security.
SS7 is used for these and other
services
• Setting up and managing the connection for a call

• Tearing down the connection when the call is
complete
• Billing
• Managing call forwarding, calling party name and
number display, three-way calling, and other
Intelligent Network (IN) services
• Toll-free (800 and 888) and toll (900) calls
• Wireless as well as wireline call service including
subscriber authentication, and roaming
The End

6 GSM

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Lecture 6

Basic GSM Network Architecture

 Gateway switches are in charge of fetching the

• Setting up and managing the connection for a call

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